ASHTAKAVARGA SYSTEM OF PREDICTION PART 22 By Dr. E. S.

Neelakantan

We left the last session with a riddle: How can two inimical planets, Mars and Saturn, prove to be beneficial, when they are in 7th house for Capricorn Ascendant? We start this query and then proceed with our discussion on the role of Venus in Ashtakavarga. We know that Mars is debilitated in Cancer and exalted in Capricorn. Saturn is the lord of Capricorn. When the exaltation lord of a debilitated planet conjoins it in a quadrant, we have the neecha bhanga raja yoga. So the conjunction of Mars with Saturn in the 7th for Capricorn as Ascendant is a neecha bhanga raja yoga. This is perhaps why Mantreswara in Phaladeepika says that under this combination, a person will be blessed with a chaste and fortunate wife. If you go through all books on Astrology, this is perhaps the only rule which gives a beneficial interpretation to Mars Saturn combination. When the 7th house from Janma lagna (in the Ashtakavarga of Venus) has a bindu contributed by the Sun, while the asterism of wife falls in Krithika triad, then she will be dear to the husband as if she were his own soul. If the bindu be that of the Moon, while wifes star falls in Rohini triad, she will be very pleasing to his own mind. If the bindu were to be that of Mars, while wifes star falls either Mrigashirsha triad or the Ashwini triad, then she will be very helpful to husband while he is doing good deeds. If the bindu were to be that of Mercury, while the wifes star falls in Ashlesha triad, she will be agreeable to husbands commands. If the bindu were to be contributed by Jupiter while her birth star falls in Punarvasu triad, she will be blessed with virtuous children. If the bindu were that of Venus while the wifes star falls in Bharani triad, she will give conjugal happiness to husband. If the bindu were to be that of Saturn, while the birth asterism of wife falls in the Pushya triad, she will always be ready to serve the husband like a slave. The same holds good if the birth star of wife falls in Ardra triad.

The above set of rules should come in handy for an astrologer who is about to do horoscope matching. We are now living in a world, where it is very difficult to see harmony, whether it be in a family, or an organization or in a building, society. The reason is very simple, everybody wants to benefit, nobody wants to do anything worthwhile for other people. The biggest disease now spreading like an epidemic across the globe is selfishness. The noted Tamil dramatist and actor, Crazy Mohan once said that he began his life in a joint family meaning that he lived in a house where his parental relatives also used to stay. Such families where known as joint families. According to him a stage has come today where if the husband and wife manage to stay in same house, it can be termed as a joint family. Please note that the effects seen above vary with the nature of planets. A girl born in the Martian triad of stars will be active so under beneficial influences, she will be a hard worker and a partner in good deeds. If it were Saturn, she will be like a servant because Saturn denotes servile qualities. Mercury is the planet for communication. So if the wifes star is Mercury and if beneficial influences prevail, she will happily obey instructions given to her. Please note that in this particular scheme of things with reference to interpretation, all planets give only beneficial results. There is no such thing as malefic or benefic. There is an Ayurvedic dictum which states that every herb in this world is a remedy for some disease or the other. Every planet has something good to offer but the offering will be in tune with its innate qualities. The very first rule we discussed is with reference to Sun. Sun is Atmamkaraka. According to Adwaita philosophy, which is characterized by Sun, there is no I or You in this universe Everything is one. Everything is Brahman. So when Suns influence prevails, wife is looked upon as oneself, not as a different person. There is an example mentioned in Raghuvamsha by poet Kalidasa. A wise enemy came to be accepted (by King Dilipa) like medicine to a sick man, while a foolish friend used to be rejected like a finger bitten by a snake. In olden times, when a person is bitten by a snake, that part had to be removed surgically or else the poison will spread to the whole body, killing that person. So Kalidasas view is this; Medicine is alien to us but needs

acceptance for a disease; finger belongs to us, but faces rejection when capable of spreading poison. Likewise we should not give too much importance to the intrinsic quality of planets but rather focus on their functional role. Jupiter in the 6th can actually damage a horoscope, while Saturn in the 6th is positively beneficial. Please refer to my earlier article where I had discussed, Jupiter vs Saturn who is a benefic? for better insight into this aspect. When one of the bindus in the 7th house has been contributed by a planet who owns the spouses birth star, then the couple will love each other. For instance let us say in the husbands birth chart, the bindu has been contributed by Moon. Let us say the wifes birth star is Rohini, Hasta or Shravana. Then mutual love will prevail between the couple. This rule can be compared with the rule relating to Samasaptama. Let us say, in the husbands chart Moon is in Aries. In the wifes chart, assume Venus to be in Libra. Now Moon in wifes chart is in 7th from that of the husband. The converse is equally true. The Moon in husbands chart is in the 7th from that of the wife. What is the meaning or significance of this placement? They are equidistant from each other and if you were to superimpose the charts, the Moon in husbands chart will aspect the natal Moon of the wife and vice versa. Now compare and contrast this with Shashtashtaka or Moon in 6/8 axis. Moon is in wifes chart in Leo and in Capricorn in husbands chart. This is a case where the horoscopes should not be matched. This is because the Moon in natal charts does not have any relationship. This reflects a basic state of disharmony with reference to both the charts. The entire object of bringing two charts together is to enhance the synergistic value of the union. When the charts indicate disharmony, connubial happiness will be totally absent. Hence, Venus has to be studied carefully in Ashtakavarga and its indications could be utilized to ones advantage in horoscope matching. We will discuss more on this subject in our next article.